HLT 418V Week 3 Assignment 2 Workforce Shortages in Health Care

Max Points: 150

Details:

There were several different reasons for workforce shortages. You as a healthcare professional, need to identify these reasons for the workforce shortages.

Please list the top three reasons you believe that there is a shortage and write a 1,500-1,750-word essay detailing your reasons. Remember to specifically address the following in your reasoning:

Consider some short-term solutions.

Consider some long-term solutions.

Identify a special interest group or government agency that would help you write policy to solve the problem.

Prepare this assignment according to the APA guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to Turnitin. Please refer to the directions in the Student Success Center.

 

MORE INFO 

Workforce Shortages in Health Care

Introduction

A shortage of health care workers is projected to be a major issue in the coming years. This shortage could impact providers and patients, but it also affects employers’ bottom lines. Here, we’ll take a look at some of the ways that working in the health care field will change as more people come into careers with fewer job openings available. We’ll also examine how employers can help mitigate these changes and prepare for them.

Section: First, let’s look at why this problem exists in the first place.

Section: Since 2010, there has been an increasing demand for health care workers due to an aging population and increased life expectancy (which means more people will require long-term care). Together these factors have contributed to an increase in demand for nursing homes, assisted living facilities and home health aides among others while simultaneously decreasing the supply of such positions available nationwide (due primarily to high turnover rates).

As more people get insurance, there will be more demand for health care staff.

You might be wondering what this means for the future of health care. There are a few ways that we can look at this issue. First, more people will be able to afford health care providers and insurance plans. Second, more people will be able to afford products and services related to their health needs. Thirdly, companies looking to hire new employees will have a larger pool of candidates who have been covered under an affordable plan since birth or have gained coverage through Medicaid expansion programs in states like California or New York City (where they’ve expanded eligibility).

We already have a shortage in primary care physicians.

We already have a shortage in primary care physicians. More people are getting insurance, and there’s been an increase in the number of patients seeking medical attention at their local hospital. As a result, we need more medical students to go into primary care — but that hasn’t happened yet.

As baby boomers retire, hospitals will lose a lot of experienced staff.

As baby boomers retire, hospitals will lose a lot of experienced staff. The current workforce is aging too. There aren’t enough younger people to replace them.

The current health care nurse workforce is aging too.

The current health care nurse workforce is aging too. The average age of a registered nurse in the United States is 46 years old, with female nurses being slightly younger than males. As a result, nursing schools are not producing enough graduates to fill the gap and replace retiring nurses as they age out of their careers or choose not to stay in them due to other career opportunities.

Other types of health workers face shortages.

Other types of health workers face shortages.

Nursing assistants

Physical therapists

Physicians assistants (PAs)

Pharmacists and dental hygienists

We need to plan now so we don’t end up with a chronic shortage of health care workers.

We need to plan now so we don’t end up with a chronic shortage of health care workers.

There are four main strategies for addressing this issue:

• More training programs for people who want to become nurses and other health professionals

• Increased recruitment and retention efforts at all levels of nursing, including graduate school programs and community colleges. This includes developing new ways of recruiting students, improving retention rates after graduation, increasing the number of students who choose careers in underserved areas (such as rural communities), promoting dual-career opportunities such as nurse-practitioners or physician assistants—and supporting more experienced nurses returning from retirement by providing them with opportunities for mentoring younger colleagues while they’re still active in their practices.

• Providing incentives that encourage people who live within driving distance from large urban centers—or even small cities—to move there instead of driving long distances away because it’s hard enough finding good jobs without having any competition whatsoever!

Conclusion

Health care workers are an important part of the health care system. They play a key role in helping patients get the care they need and preventing illness. Unfortunately, a workforce shortage is looming on the horizon. We can’t afford to wait until it becomes a crisis before we start taking steps to address this problem.